วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 12 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2552

A Marketing Plan for Restaurant Effectiveness

By Jose L Riesco

A marketing plan for restaurant development is crucial for growing the business by attracting new customers to your restaurant and maintaining customer loyalty of your repeat business. A successful marketing plan should feature several parts so that it reaches as many people as possible and its effectiveness is measurable.

Once a restaurant is open and performing well, a marketing plan for restaurant maintenance ensures current performance is maintained and a healthy profit realized. A marketing plan that features several components is the most effective. Among them are direct mail, promotions, community activities, radio, television and print advertising, and in-house promotions like themed dinners or early bird specials.

A marketing plan for restaurant business includes programs that promote repeat business. For example, a marketing effort that honors customers on their birthday with a special promotion encourages a larger group of diners to join in the celebration. This leads to more people knowing about your restaurant, which in turn, leads to more referrals.

When developing a marketing plan for restaurant stability, think of the business overall by identifying your market and comparing your competition. Then you can move ahead and define your customer base, explore other customer based opportunities, implement focused marketing efforts for new and repeat business, identify your competitive edge, determine menu price points and implement up-sell strategies.

A marketing plan for restaurant lifecycles would bring you through busy and slow months successfully. A marketing budget should be set in proportion to your sales. A rule of thumb is 3% to 6% of sales. Advertising is part of a marketing plan and should encompass all mediums. On-site promotions, taking part in special events in the area, or holding a function in partnership with a charity or other company are also key marketing components. Take advantage of free marketing opportunities by introducing yourself to the local media. Think creatively and use holidays, community events and other opportunities to promote your restaurant.

A marketing plan for restaurant development should explore efforts that better connect you with the customer so they feel part of your family and want to support your business. Among the avenues to consider are targeted mailings, coupons, customer loyalty cards, an e-newsletter, a website and gift certificates. An inexpensive marketing plan is an email campaign where you collect customer's emails in the restaurant or through your website and email them regularly about events, specials, holiday happenings and incentives for dining with you at certain times.

A marketing plan for restaurant continuity should be easy for all staff levels. They are the ones with direct contact with diners, so they need to be an essential part of carrying out any type of marketing effort. A trained staff is the best marketing strategy because they set the tone for a customer's experience and whether they will return and refer your restaurant to others. Enhancing customer expectations through the dining experience is an inexpensive marketing effort.

A marketing plan for restaurant effectiveness means building a strong foundation that addresses all impact areas, including changes in the restaurant industry, your market, the competition in the area, your customers and any other influences. You should also be able to track your marketing efforts to evaluate their success. A marketing plan can be established in house or through a marketing consultant and needs to be a part of the ongoing operations of a restaurant.

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